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Day 5 : Thursday 30 August 1999

We're running about 20 late, as we've travelled down via Birmingham New Street. 86233 "Laurence Olivier" passes us just before Watford Jn. We leave Watford first and it overtakes us again. When we get to Euston, I see that 86233 is the 07:45 to Wolverhampton. 47703, 87023 and 87006 are stabled between platforms 16 and 17. First class on 07:45 is fairly full, just as it was when I travelled on this train last year. Breakfast starts as soon as we leave Euston. A number of 66's, 47's and 92's are at Willesden. The weather is sunshine and showers again. Virgin have an advertisment on the front of the times (complimentary) today. "Central London to Central Birmingham - Road 2h15, Rail 1h40". A Connex train is just arriving at Rugby as we pass. Another is in one of the south bays. Thunerbird 47744 hems in two 312's at the north end. An 08 is shunting in the yard. 37895 and 37718 are also there. A queue of planes is waiting to take of at Birmingham airport. We're slightly early, so we're held at Proof House Jn. for a Centro 323 to take the Aston line.

323211 is in trouble on the 09:24 Lichfield service at platform 6a. It's fixed and departs at 09:37. 37408 "Loch Rannoch" arrives at 09:54 for the 10:07 to Holyhead. The stock is much cleaner inside and out than it was last year. The leading coach is a chocolate and cream Mk I. A slow start due to a TSR until we enter New St. Tunnel, then 37408 is opened up. A working boat is heading toward Wolverhampton between Dudley Port and Tipton. A Black Prince boat is locking up the flight to Wolverhampton from the other direction. A cup of tea just before Stafford. The sun has almost come out. The trolley attendant tells me that all three diagrams are 37's today.

On the slow line from Stafford. We are overtaken by a 90-hauled Virgin train north of Madeley Junction. 47's (or maybe 57's), 86's and a 66/5 at Basford Hall Yard. Lots of 47's at the depot. We arrive at platform 12 at Crewe. There are weed-filled abandoned bay platforms at both ends. 87031 is waiting to come off the electric depot as we pass. A Regional Railways liveried 37429 is also there. One narrowboat is heading past the marina at Barbridge. Bright sunshine and more boats at Beeston, with the view of the castle on its hill.

The concourse at Chester has been refurbished and is much brighter. The crew of 153360 stabled in the bay test out the ramp. Transrail liveried 37412 "Driver John Elliot" arrives 4 minutes early on the 12:26 to Birmingham, with a Regional Railways liveried rake. Back through Crewe again. D9009 "Alycidon" is outside the shed at Basford Hall. A number of Canada geese are in a field just north of Stafford.

In order to avoid a run round at New Street, we branch left at Crane Street Jn (Wolverhampton) to take the line through Bescot and Aston. We pass under a number of the elevated motorways before Bescot. 37's and 58's at Bescot yards, along with lines of withdrawn locos. We slow down for the junctions at Aston. More elevated roads here. We arrive on time at 14:03 at platform 3b. The train forms the 14:23 back to Holyhead. After a few minutes pause, the train draws forward to clear platform 3a for another train - the loco is now out from under the bridge and in the sun.

We pass a few more narrowboats on the way to Wolverhampton - the Black Prince boat that I saw last time has made it as far as Tipton. On the fast line from Stafford this time. We overhaul a northbound freighliner with 86631 and 86615 on the front a few miles before Crewe. D9009 is still out. Lots of people get on here, to head for North Wales.

323226 is the 15:35 stopper to Deansgate. It looks like the up line has been relaid as far as Holmes Chapel. A good view of the hills to the south from nearby Twemlow Viaduct. More relaying in evidence after Goostrey. The sunlight catches the dish at Jodrell Bank. Presumably there is a TSR, as we pass in quick succession an HST, a 153 and a 90 with a short freight between Holmes Chapel and Goostrey. This is the school train from Alderley Edge, and from Wilmslow. 86214 "Sans Pareil" on a Cross Country train passes us as we wait at Levenshulme. We pass it shortly afterward as it slows to negotiate the crossover. They're still finishing the platform surface of platforms 10/11 and 8/9 at Piccadilly, but the station is transformed from when I was last here - it's now light and airy.

The stock that 86214 has brought in forms the 17:10 to Paddington. 86206 "City of Stoke on Trent" is on the other end. We leave at 17:09:23 by the station clock, and pause about 1 mile out. 101680 overtakes us as we start off, but we soon overtake it. 309's, a 305, 101, and 86's at Longsight. Dark clouds over Stockport. Lighter to the south east. Soon it's raining. The sun comes out as cross the viaduct south of Macclesfield, giving a good view of The Cloud to the south east. Orange canal, Harecastle Hill, and then the sun shining brightly through a gap in the clouds. A 37 passes us just north of Stafford, closely followed down the slow line by a pair of 325's. 90002 waits for us to cross at Stafford.

47844 is the engine forward from New Street. 309616 is at New Street, several Thames Turbos are at Oxford and a line of 37's and 60's headed by a 66 at Didcot. Past the Eurostar and HEX depots again. A 47 on sleepers is waiting to come down from Willesden. A few locos are visible at Old Oak Common. Arrival at Paddington is on time at 21:35, after a slow last mile. It's noisy now - part of the station is a construction site.

The Circle line train seems to take an age to get to Euston. 90017 "Rail Express Sytems" has brought the sleepers in. 90030 "Freiconnection" is on the front.

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Day 6 (Friday)

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Introduction Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Timetable Mileages

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Text and photographs Copyright J.D.Coleman 1999.

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